Airship landing and mooring mast



Sept. 23, 1930.

I. N. KINNEY AIRSHIP LANDING AND MOORING MAST 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. [VAN M KIN/v5? A TTORNEY Filed Oct. '7, 1929 Sept. Z3, 1930. I. I\ I. KINNEY 1,776,511 Y AIRSHIP LANDING AND MQORING MAST Filed Oct. 7, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet z FIG-.11 BY A TTORNEY iiygte :mounted upon a buildjing or' other "structure, .ithereby enabling the :airship to V v vaitional viewfthereof;-,F-ig:=3fis'an enlarged" I fragmentary. sectionalviemxshowing there,-

Patented Sept. 23. i930 [Ivan'Kmn gpmm DIEGO, chrrronmnf 4 ma netism D Q' H e I Application filedfoetobr 7,1929; Serial 1m. 397,890.

invention i pmooring masts, and theobjects ofmy invention are: First, to provide} an apparatus of this; class which?eliminatesrithe need-.of .a

ground crew for landing-or mooring airships; second, to provide anmapparatusof this class which: enables an' airshipto' discharge ortake onfreightor passengers withi V V outbringmg thegondolas, doors or cabin close to the grou-iidsojthey mightztbeyda'm-' aged by strikinglthe. ground: currents of air'i'should' cause :the air ship to settle slight 1y; third, to provide an apparatusof this class which enables anairship' to anchor at night as well as'in theday; fourth, to provide an apparatus of thisclass-whichrea'di ly re- "'ceives an anchor :dropped from .the airship and guides "it into a proper"catching-means;

fifthfto' provide anapparatus of this class Y which ma be rotated so f astoface the wind;

sixth," to provide" an apparatus ofthis class which greatly reducesathe space, needed: to

" land ;or noori an airship; seventhfto. provide an apparatus of this class which might read anchor over: the business .secti'onxof a; town;

and eighth; to provide on' a whole I a; novelly constructed apparatus :oflthis 'class which is tional" to its functionsydura'ble,efficient in: its "action; and which will;

7 7 ate or get out: of order.

extremely? simple of construction .propornot readily i deteriorj With ithese and other i objects, in view as will appear herein'after,=' my i invention consistsvof certain novel features of construction,

combination and arrangement of parts 1 and 'portionsfas. will sbefhereinafter described in detail {111d particularly; set forth in :the ap pended claims,-reference being hadto the accompanying drawings Tandto the characters'zof referencethereon which form apart xof'thisapplication,inwhichz. a: Figure lis a planrviewof my airshipland- .=ing andmoo'ring mast; Fig; 2 is a sidei'elelationship of the turning' tableto. the: base; Fig: ,4 is another enlarged fragmentary se'ctional View; showing the means for rotating .which, in the structure reinforced concrete and set fiushwith; the I groundof the landing field.i The base .1 is

the tnrning'table;Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical view, illustrating ;the manner in :which ma dirigible. or other airship is i. landed and mooredto my apparatus; Fig: 6 ,is' an enlarged fragmentary sectional view: through 6-6 of Fig. 1,. showing the anchorcat'ching portion of myapparatus; Fig. '7 isan en'- larged fragmentary plan view of the anchor catching portion; Fig.38 is a, sectional view through-8-8 of Fig. 6 ;-Fig. 9' is anothersectional viewthrough 9fl9,of Fig. 6';Fig. '10 is a sectional viewthrough 10.,10 ofFig.i6; and Fig. 111 is of-Fig.6.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsmthroughout the several views ofthe drawings. :M;

1- Base 1, track 2, turning table 3, ro1irs'4,

ring gear 5, drive gear-6,;gear1 and ishaft mechanism 7,:moto r 8, tower1-95 guide 10, anchor 11, anchor cable 12, shock absorber l3,- anchor hoist 14, mooring ma's,t*15, and elevator shaft 16-,.=.constitute the principal parts and portions of'iny airship landing and mooring mast. V, V h I Myapp'aratus isnsupported on a base. 1, showmis formed of providedwith a circular depression 1*; I Supportedin the sidewalls. of the depression is an annulartrack 2: The track 2 is channel shaped in .crosssection with one/leg thereof arranged abovetheother so as to form upper and lower rollways 2and 2?. i i

The turning table 3 ismounte'd within the depression 1-andis provided withaf flat a" 'section'alview through 1l 11 I upper surface 3, Whichis substantially flush With the upper surface 1" of theb'ase 's'ur-v. rounding the depression 1. Supported at i the lower sideofthe turningtable in spaced a apart relation are aYplur'ality. of rollers" 4 which normally ride OHthG lower flange or rollway 2 -of the track member 2, but which, should the V turning table tend to .lift out of the base, twill. ride on; the upper .flange. or

,rollway 2 ofthetrack..-The-tu1-ning table is also supported relative to the base" mem ber lby a centrally located hub 43. i 7

Positioned atithe bottom sideofitliede- V i pression l i near its outer margin, is a ring gearb, upon which is adapted to travel one or more 'dri e'gearsG which are Operated 7 through suitable gear and shaft mechanism 7 by one or more motors 8; as shown best in Fig. 4:.

7 Supported Euponthe turningtable 3 is atower- 9i.- Secured to the upper-fiend vof the tower and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom until table 3 is a guide 10.

joins the turning As shown ,in-Fig. 11, the guide channel shaped in crosssection' with a fiat floor'lO i and upwardly extending side walls which terminate in thickened and rounded upperf edges 10. "The lower end; 310 torms the mouthor intakeend'of'the guide; Ihisend iisjtangntial with the su r faee of the turn in table. From this end it curves upward vly towards the topof the tower 9'. As shown in Fig; 1',fthe guide is fan shaped in plan with themouthportion forming the-widest 7 end; w V g a 7, f Outwardly from :the tower; asshown-best in ;=Figs;"6 andmmhe fguide decreases its ,oslope and the walls IO incre'ase in height.- At this portion the upper margins of the nside walls 110 ourve inwardly; so as to r e- 7 strict the opening at theupper side :ofthe guida as shown'in Fig; 1'9. The side walls, together with the floor; 102 form a funnel shaped throat portion l0",=as shown in Figs;

, .6 and- 9.; The rear-"end of thethroat por r V tionjoins a; tube 10 of annular-cross section w fj j large enough "to receivewa spherifcgail kanchor, to be described hetein after. The tube slopes upwardly"and='11-ea{r-'v wardly toward anew. Above the funnel' portion Q10 and'the tube 10?; the side walls 10*, asshown in Figs 6, 8; and 9, torm a slit 10 which intersects said tunnel'portionand tube.-The slit is just wide enough.

' to accommodate a cable connected to thean- OhOIi "-";Ihe-Wallsof the slit 10 increase in f so lowered from an airship A by rneansof a height until their upper margins wh ich form a 'co'ntin uatLi-on of the rounded edges was above the tower 9. Short of the end aerate tube, the slit *terminates andfiis provided' with axroulnded rearWu-"pper marginal portion l 0 flover which the anchor cable-cantravel; 11 I 1 V FThe anchor 11, which is adapted to he cable is spherical. The anchoris dragged alohg the- ;ground into? the mouth of 1 the 'gui de'by the cable '12'whereu pon the side 'iwal-ls to guide the hall intotheithroat ro From-here the "anchor enters the tube 10 while the cableiextends out the slit 10 Justfforward of the throat portion 10 hefiorethe walls 1 6" of'fthe guide have come together closer thanthe diameter of'the an "ehor, the tfloo'rlt) :i s'providedwith a sump or depression itOhthe torward wall o'fwhich' is substantially vertical, while the rear wall slopes upwardly" andvforrnsthe lower side of the funnel portion 10% as shown best in Figs, 6, 9 and 10. The purpose ofthe sump is to prevent' the anchor from rolling out of the tube 10 and on down" to the; guide a member I 10.

Mounted within l 'drmemb'er 13 adapted to reciprocate with in the tube 10?, the forward face 13 of ""which-is dished or concave slightly so as to or I fitthe one side of the anchor ball 11. The

cyliiidr'ical member 13 may be made hollow.

and receive a spring 13? which extends rear- I wardly therefrom to the-rear end of the tube "portion"10F.

The tower M I the tube 1t) is" shock I absorber .13, which comprises a cylindrical 9 the anchorcatch i ing portion of the guide is provided with a loadingi and unloadingplatform 9 1 3i:- tending from theforward side 0f the platterm 9 adjacent" to the side "of the catch ortion 10 *of' the guide '10 is A a a balcony 9 I .upported at the extended end zof the ba h cony 9f1is1an anchor thoistingfmeans :14

which'may'he raised and lowered .:hy by? draulic pressur'e if desired. 1 1 This means 14 as to hoist out the anchor 11.

Reamzvard lyw or. the catch portion 10 and supported- ,byzthe tower 9 is a .inboring' mast is adaptedto be swiung over 'thelsurhp 10 so .7

15 which can hearranged tob; raised or The mooringimast' 1*5f may be readily raised and-lowered bymeans "of the'hydraulic pres:- =surerneans which also operates the davit Below the platform 97 is another .platform by; steps :9; lin'elev atorshaft 16 is provided and the ji'owerlplatform 9;

' Theoperationo f apparatus 011- lows E: .When it 1 is desired to; land? an airship,

the turning table '3 is rotated until the guide" lowered, so thazt'when it is lowered itedoes I .7

notsiinterfere with the anchor cable 12when V saidanchor cableextends out-the zslitflll l 100 p v ,9": which is cbnnectedW-iththe platter-In V 1'05 whi'cheXt-ends betweenthe 'turning table 58 v 7 no i faces and is centered 'relative to the prevail: r

} ing-wind. The dirigibl'e oi' airship" landing maneuvers so as topa'ss over-the apparatus in w substantially. centered I relation :tothe guide 10. l3'etore reaching theapparatus, "the anchtor lrby means of the'cable lfi is lowered f "to the ground *and-is pulljedialong hythe'air ship-as it moves over the apparatus; By it reason: offthe-wide -lowerend of the guide' iO,

itfisyquite'easy'to drop theanchor in suclra manner that itis brought between 'the'side walls 10* of'th'e rnent of the diri-gi le wh-ich is as slow as possible, causes the anchor to-dragfupdhe uide; "Continued movethe anchor. Continued movement of the 'dirigible causes the anchor to compress the "spring 13". bringing the airship toa stop. If

\ desired, a suitable winchmay be mounted in q the airship so that the cable or line, may be let out should the airship be moving a little-too fast to be brought to a stop within the movement "allowed by the spring 13. When the airship has been brought to a stop, it is substantially in the position indicated by the dotted lines B, though-usually considerably higher relative tolthe apparatus. The cable is then reeled in causing the airship to move in reverse direction which brings the nose of the airship down to the position indicated by dotted lines C in Fig; 5, whereupon the moore ing mast 15 is raised and secured in the usual manner to thenose of. the dirigible. After thereby enabling the vwind.

the airshipis once secured to the mooring a'mast, all strain on the cable 12 is released allowing the anchor'to rollback to the sump #10 so-it can be removed by use of the davit 14.

wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but de sire to include 1n the scope of my inventlon the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the 'ap-J Hpendedclaims. V I

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

. 1. I In an apparatus of the classdescribed, a

tower, an anchor means releasable from an airship, an anchor catching mechanism mounted on sa1d tower arranged tO'IGCGlVG said anchor means, and guide means for directing said anchor means into said catch mechanism. V I a I 2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a tower, an anchor means releasable froman a1rsh1p, an anchor catching mechanism mounted on sa1d tower arranged to receive said anchor means, guide meansfor directing said anchor means into said-catch mechanism, and-shock absorber means cooperating with said catch mechanism, for de-accelerating said anchor means. 7 v

3. In'an apparatus of the class described,

'- an inclined guide means, comprising a flared lower portion and a constricted upper por- 7 tion, and an anchor catching mechanism joining'said constricted upper portion, said guide ;means.adapted" to receive'an anchor from a moving airship-and guide said anchor into sa1d catch mechan1sm.;

an inclined guide means-Comprising a flared lower portion anda constricted upper por- "day of September, 1929.

tion, an anchor catching mechanism joining said constricted upper portion, said guide means adapted to receive an anchor from a moving airship and guide said anchor into i said catch mechanism, and shock absorbing means cooperating with said catch mechanism for de-accelerating saidanchor.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a tower, an anchor means releasable from an airship, an. anchor catching mechanism mounted on said tower arranged to receive sa1d anchor means, 'gulde means for directing said anchor means into said catch mechanism,

and a rotatable table supporting said tower and guide means. a

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

. a tower, an anchor means releasable from an airship, an anchor catching mechanism mounted on said tower arranged to receive sa1d anchor means, gulde means for directing a said anchor means into said catch mechanism, shock absorber means cooperating with sa1d catch mechanism for de-accelerating said anchor means, and a rotatable table supporting said, tower and guide means. r 7. In an apparatus of the class described,

an inclined guide means, comprising a flared lower portlon and a constricted upper portion, an anchor catching mechanism joining said constricted upper portion, said guide means adapted to receive an anchor from a moving airship and guide said anchor into sa1d catch mechan sm, and means for rotating said guide means so that said guide'means I faces into the wind. 7

8. In an apparatus of the class described, an inclined guide means, comprising a flared -lower portion and a constricted upper portion, an anchor catching mechanism joining said constricted, upper portion, said guide means adapted to receive an anchor from a moving a1rsh1p and guide sa1d anchor into sa1d catch mechanism, shock absorbing means cooperating with said catch mechanism for de-accelerating said anchor, and means for rotating said guide-means so that said guide means faces the wind.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego, California, this 24th IVAN N. KINNEY,

L 4. Inan apparatus of the class described, 7 

